What's the coldest?

[JoeFab]

As the temps dip down into the 30's at night here in the Carolinas, I was wondering what is the coldest temp that you've ridden in?

 

With my normal gear on, which is basically a leather jacket and leather gloves, I decide that yesterdays 40 degrees was a bit too cold - but I was pretty good this morning at 46 degrees.

[Brake Pad]

17 degrees

[Steve S]

26 degrees, heading for Daytona from Kentucky. :thumbsup2:

[Mariner Fan]

I don't know what the coldest temperature I've ridden in, but it was 31 degrees this morning when I rode to work. I usually don't try to ride in any colder weather than that because I'm concerned about ice on the road.

[stardbog]

17 F. with Heated Clothing On. Doing 75 MPH ( What is windchil Factor at that speed ? = -25.2432501F).

Didnt Feel any chill, enjoying ride like I'm sitting at home watching TV. That Was Good stres relife terapy.

Edited October 22, 2008 by stardbog

[pegscraper]

In the neighborhood of about 15* - 20*. I sure was wishing I had heated gear that day too, as I had to be on the road for over a couple hours. But it was sunny and roads were clear, and riding the bike was cheaper than driving the car.

[TEW47]

Back in the '80s I rode in 0 degrees going to work. Like to have never got it started. It was cold. Couldn't blink my eyes. I had to work outside all day. Got caught at work one time and had to ride home after a 16 shift in the snow.

 

tew47

[Eck]

15 degrees...rode from Huntsville Al to Bishopville, Sc for a BBQ lunch meet & eat...

(talk about being dumb...I mean dedicated...)

after we ate we went on a group ride and we all stopped for ice cream, then wingman and I made a mad dash for home at 19 degrees...

PS:

I will NOT do that again..................

[Iowawegian]

In the spring we start riding at 30 degrees. No heated gear...but I'm wearing long johns and ski pants.

[BIG TOM]

DONT KNOW FOR SURE BUT, TRY TO RIDE AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH DURING WINTER..AS LONG AS THERE IS NO ICE ON THE ROAD..MY RIDING BUDDY LIVES 2 MILES DOWN THE ROAD...I LIKE TO RIDE UP TO HIS HOUSE ..CALL HIM A WIMP FOR NOT BEING OUT THEN QUICKLY RETURN HOME AND NOT ANSWER THE PHONE FOR AN HOUR OR SO.....HE HASN'T FIGURED IT OUT YET...HE JUSTS THINKS I'M CRAZY....

[skidrow]

Back in the 70's I rode to work at 18 degrees...brushed the snow off the seat and went on my way. no windshield, but I only had to ride 8 miles.

[BoomerCPO]

14 degrees last November on a ride from SE Connecticut to New Jersey for a Patriot Guard Mission......I was on a C50 Boulevard with windshield.....no heated clothing....long johns.... with leather jacket/chaps. It was a brutal ride going and coming home.....

[Mariner Fan]

Ok, one time in Washington State I rode over a pass and it was snowing. I had to keep my tires in the tracks laid down by the car in front of me. Talk about puckering a guy up!

 

Back then, I didn't own chaps or even know what motorcycle gear was. My Suzuki 1000 had a fairing in front but I was never so cold in my life. It was the kind of cold that went down to the bones!

 

Once I got over the pass I pulled into a gas station. My legs were so cold that I couldn't even move and I just dropped the bike where I stopped. It was kinda like those old "Laugh In" shows where Arte Johnson would be on the little tricycle and flop over. I just crawled out from under the bike, picked it up and went inside to warm up.

[petekadish]

There are a number of days during the wintertime when the roads are free of ice and snow, and I just can't stand being cooped-up inside the house any longer and I just have to go out for a ride.

 

Last January, I took about a 40 mile ride up Provo Canyon when the temps were 16 degrees. I believe that when factoring-in the wind-chill, that it was about -10. I looked like an astronaut as I set out. I had on my Gerbings heated jacket-liner and gloves, and every bit of other ECW (extreem cold weather) gear I could put on. I road untill I reached the point where I knew that I could still return home fairly comfortable.

 

One thing that I have discovered about the Gerbings heated gloves, is that they do have a limit of heating effectivness. Once temps reach around 30 degrees (which means a wind chill of about 11 degrees, at 55 MPH), they will protect you significantly better than most other gloves which you could ride with, but you'll probably not have warm and toasty hands in those kinds of temps:snow:.

Be Safe & Warm!

Pete.

[Condor]

Against my 50-80deg riding rule, I went out and rode in 42deg weather once.... Brrrr!!!!

[DragonRider]

As long as there is no ice or snow or rain falling, I ride to work every day, a 10 mile ride, and its not unusual for me to be out in 15 degree temps,I leave home at 5:30 am, of course it is almost always above freezing by the time I head home at 2:30 in the afternoon. I do layer up for the ride and find it totally invigorating. Besides we dont get a whole lot of that white fluffy stuff here, but its not unheard of either.

[Tom]

Debby and I rode in 21 at The Grand canyon 2 years ago but had the Polar-Tec underwear chaps etc..It was really not bad till the temp started climbing and the Snow started to fall..Then I got a little nervous but thank God It stopped . I like riding in cold better than Hot weather.

[friesman]

Against my 50-80deg riding rule, I went out and rode in 42deg weather once.... Brrrr!!!!

 

You gotta come up here for a ride in early to mid March around here, Jack, last spring I rode to work a couple times in 0 to 5 farenheit its invigorating.....:rotfl:and so much more....lol!

 

 

Brian

[Mariner Fan]

For me, the only thing that get's really cold is my hands. My gear works very well in the cold except my gloves. Might have to look into the heated type because I don't think they make a glove that will keep your hands warm on a bike.

[kenw]

when I was a kid and didn't know any better I rode a suzuki in the snow in Chicago. Back then you wet you hair, so it was frozen, and you couldn't move your fingers from the grip postion for about an hour after school started. And as an added note motorcycle breaks don't stop a bike in the snow! Just turned the tires into skis.

 

Kenw

[mini-muffin]

The coldest I ever rode in was the same meet that eck went to. Man that was cold. I decided then that I wouldn't ride in that cold again. Oh well I did, not sure how cold it was coming home from SC when we went to Dicks brrrrrr. I froze. I was glad I had just gotten my new leather jacket.

Jeff on the other hand always rides. Pretty much everyday, only way he goes to work. He's ridden in the snow up in WV. You can ask Skid he saw him.

 

Margaret

[SaltyDawg]

I ride to work pretty much every day, 50 miles each way. Last winter I can remember a few days when it was 14 degrees. I have electric gloves and socks with an adjustable rheostat.

 

The palms of my hands do start to get cold about half way, so this year I plan on adding grip warmers.

 

I usually only wear chaps when it gets below 50 otherwise it's just jeans and a jacket. Chaps are good to about 35 then I switch to my snowmobile suit and that along with the gloves and socks keeps me toasty. This year will be the first time I have the Yamaha lowers and the fork deflectors on. So far they have made a BIG difference in the amount of cold that gets to my body. Not to mention keeping that heat around the engine and my feet.

[JoeFab]

This was a good thread! I do feel kinda wimpy being so cold at 40 degrees though...

[polecat54]

18 No snow and clear if it don't have moisture on the day I ride wife thinks i'm nuts but the wallet thinks I'm smart.

[ahoutzer]

I'm in there with DragonRider and SaltyDawg: ride to work every day. Lowest temp was 12*F, several times last year. Like DragonRider, it snows here once per year and is soon gone. On those days, no one goes to work because we have no snow plows and no one knows how to drive in even one inch of snow. We also usually get a one-day ice storm -- no one goes out.

 

My only electric gear are gloves. Just bundle up. My ride to work is only about a dozen miles, so it's barely enough time to feel the cold, most days.